JERSEY CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Junior Golf Association today announced its Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant has been formally rebranded as the Liberty National ACE Grant as part of a 12-year agreement between the organization and the prestigious Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ. The renaming follows a donation to the AJGA by the Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, which has made a comprehensive effort to support transformational change in communities across the country in its mission to grow and make the sport more accessible, totaling more than $12 million in contributions to youth golf initiatives over many years.
The ACE Grant provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive golf. It was founded in 2003 by the AJGA to help provide opportunities to players who have the skills but not the means to play a national junior golf schedule. Since its inception, the program has reimbursed over $6 million to junior golfers who have gone on to earn over $15 million in college scholarships.
This rebrand will provide the AJGA the resources to create additional opportunities for junior golfers, growing the game and making it even more impactful for years to come.
The announcement comes the week of the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open, hosted by golf icon Michelle Wie West, adding the LPGA Tour to the list of world-class tournaments which have taken place at Liberty National. The club will concurrently host an AJGA Invitational which will provide the opportunity for 24 female junior golfers on the American Junior Golf Association Tour to compete for an individual title in front of the iconic Manhattan skyline adjacent to the course. Following the conclusion of the tournament, the inaugural Liberty National ACE Grant Cup fundraising event will take place at the course on Monday, June 5.
“We are extremely proud and honored to support future generations of golfers through the AJGA and this reimagined Liberty National ACE Grant," said Paul Fireman, former CEO of Reebok and co-founder of Liberty National Golf Club.
“The impact of the ACE Grant cannot be understated, as some of golf’s biggest stars were able to achieve their dreams because of the program, and we look forward to its evolution and upward trajectory beginning with this week’s Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National,” said Dan Fireman, co-Founder and President, Liberty National Golf Club.
“We are honored to partner with the Fireman family to create the Liberty National ACE Grant which provides financial aid to juniors who have the talent to compete at a national level, but not the financial resources,” AJGA Executive Director Stephen Hamblin said. “The Fireman family continues to be a leading benefactor in their support of golf at every level. We couldn’t be more thrilled to become part of the giving legacy of the Fireman family.”
“Like so many of the sport’s biggest stars, the ACE Grant has empowered me to pursue my dreams of becoming a professional player,” said Rose Zhang, the most decorated player in amateur women's golf history who will be making her professional debut at the Mizuho Americas Open. “The AJGA and Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation have done so much to support generations of young golfers and I’m excited to see the impact the Liberty National ACE Grant will have in the future, as well as the inaugural Liberty National ACE Grant Cup event on June 5.”
The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation brings entrepreneurial vision and resources to support transformational change in communities where the family lives and works. Among the number of key partnerships the organization has includes Liberty Science Center, SciTech Scity, One Family, Inc., Team Walker, The Hurley Family Foundation, Team Impact and Ron Burton Training Village.
About American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 7,900 members from 50 states and 51 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.
TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for more than 25 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 1,000 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Jessica Korda, Nelly Korda, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.
About Liberty National Golf Club
One of the world’s most iconic golf locales, Liberty National Golf Club is located along the Hudson River in Jersey City, NJ, with striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan skyline. Liberty National fittingly opened on July 4, 2006, and is guided by the vision and leadership of former Reebok Founder, Chairman & CEO Paul Fireman and his son Dan Fireman, managing partner of Fireman Capital Partners. Designed by US Open Champion Tom Kite and esteemed golf course mastermind Bob Cupp, Liberty National is kept in tournament ready playing condition. Liberty National hosted The Presidents Cup in 2017 as well as multiple PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff events.
For more information about Liberty National Golf Club, visit www.libertynationalgc.com
